Foton Tunland 2016 Review

Foton Tunland Double-Cab 4x4
Road Test

Remember when Korean cars started to come on the market? Hyundai and Kia's arrival Down Under under-cut the established Japanese players in the small 'cheap and cheerful' segment, and now the Koreans are established players, right up there with the best Japanese vehicles on the market. Fast forward to 2016 and there are even more new kids on the block, this time in the light-commercial sector. It's the Chinese manufacturers who are making an impression, and they're rapidly lifting their game… Here we look at newcomer Foton and its Tunland ute, priced from $30,990 drive-away.

According to Foton's website, the company was founded 1996, and since then the manufacturer has become an established automotive industry leader in China turning out somewhere around 650,000 vehicles annually.

Foton's prior history is in the manufacture of heavy-duty commercial vehicles including trucks, buses and agricultural equipment, and they currently produce trucks in a joint venture with Daimler AG.

One of the company's smaller offerings is the HiLux-sized Tunland. The range comprises five vehicles – a 4x2 cab-chassis, single-cab ute in 4x2 and 4x4 configurations, and a double-cab ute also available in 4x2 and 4x4.

Our vehicle for this test is the 4x4 double-cab ute which retails for $30,990 (drive-away), but more of that later. Firstly let's take a look at the DNA of the Tunland because, for the folks with a bit of a mechanical bent, the composition of the vehicle's hardware makes for compelling reading.

The Tunland is powered by a 2.8-litre Cummins turbo-diesel which is turbocharged and intercooled. The engine has a single overhead cam, 16 valves and is controlled by Bosch electronics. Outputs are quoted as 120kW at 3600rpm and 360Nm from 1800-3000rpm.

But now it gets more interesting. The engine is mated to a Getrag five-speed manual transmission, through a Borg Warner two-speed transfer case and then to Dana diffs (the rear being a limited-slip item).

Bosch also adds to the mix with the electronics and anti-lock brakes which come as standard.

The Tunland is touted as a one-tonner with a payload of 1025kg, although this excludes passengers, fuel and the like. Its maximum towing capacity is rated at 2500kg (braked).

Front suspension is double wishbone with coil springs while the rear gets the traditional leaf springs and a live axle. The 4x4 double-cab gets 17-inch alloy wheels with 265/65-series tyres (and matching spare).

In terms of specification level, the Tunland is a bit of a mixed bag. The overall feel of the ute is of a work-a-day vehicle with utilitarian flooring and trim and not really much in the way of creature comforts. But look a bit deeper and there are some features that other work utes might not have. Leather-trimmed seats are one with the driver's seat having eight-way adjustment – albeit manual. Electric windows and mirrors, a basic trip computer and rear parking sensors also come standard.

Interestingly, there is also a tyre pressure monitoring system which will come in handy when load hauling or off-roading.

There is also cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity and a reasonable stereo, all of which can be operated from the steering wheel.

Inside, the Tunland is not a bad place to be. There is a pleasant ambiance to the cabin, and a few hints at luxury with the afore-mentioned leather trimmed seats, some faux woodgrain and aluminium hints that break up the grey plastic. The front seats are comfortable and it's easy to get a relaxed driving position.

Vision is good but parking, as with most of these style vehicles, can be a bit tough with no camera and just basic rear (acoustic) parking sensors.

As with most dual-cab utes, the rear-seat passengers have to endure a very upright seating position but there is plenty of legroom and headroom, even for taller people.

I found it a fairly easy vehicle to drive once I got my head around the power delivery which seems to be in a relatively narrow rev band – you really have to keep it up around 2000-3500rpm to keep the motor on the boil.

However, once you do that, you're rewarded with a fairly tractable engine that gives a reassuring whine from the turbo when it's on song (so to speak). We loaded up the Tunland with 325kg of weight in the tray and three blokes in the cabin to bring it to about half of its maximum load – and the Tunland loved it.

We were pleasantly surprised at just how suited this engine is to load hauling. Our normal test route includes some winding hills with up and down gradients and the Tunland was right at home actually accelerating up the hills and holding speed the whole time.

The suspension played its part too with the bump stops not coming into play over the fairly ordinary back roads.

Handling was as you'd expect from a four-wheel-drive ute with a bit of wallow as the weight transferred on cornering; and though the steering was a little vague, it coped well enough with what we threw at it.

Foton claims the Tunland will return fuel figures of 8.3L/100km, and on our week-long test, we found that to be fairly accurate. Our figure of 8.6L took in our daily commute, some inner-city driving and our stint with a load aboard.

The Borg Warner transfer case offers two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and four-wheel drive low ratio, all selectable through push-buttons on the fascia in front of the gear shift. Four-wheel drive can be selected on-the-fly at speeds up to 80km/h, but you'll have to stop to select low range.

For the four-wheel drive buffs, the quoted ground clearance is 200mm which is about the industry standard. Although we didn't get to test the Tunland off road, its approach and departure angles of 28 degrees and 23 degrees indicate that it'll be quite capable of getting owners off the beaten track.

So then to the bottom line: At just over $30K the Tunland is the most affordable four-wheel drive double-cab ute on the market. And while we used to smirk at the Chinese imports and question their build quality – and indeed their components – the time has come to take another look.

This vehicle is built with some of the best hardware in the world. The critical components of engine, gearbox, diffs and electronics are rock solid, we know that much. How the vehicle is put together is the intangible. There's no doubt it feels good. It's solid and it doesn't rattle or groan even when under load. Its panel fit and finish look pretty good, and its interior is more than acceptable for a working ute.

The comparable offerings from Japan cost over $10K more, but the question must be asked: Are they $10K better? If you're a young tradie looking for a work ute that can double as a play thing on the weekends or as a tow vehicle, this could just be the thing.

And with a three-year/100,000km warranty, it looks as though the importers are willing to back their product. We reckon if Foton holds the pricing, you may well see a lot more Tunlands on the roads and tracks of Australia.

2016 Foton Tunland Double-Cab 4x4 pricing and specifications:
Price: $30,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 120kW/360Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 8.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: TBA
Safety Rating: N/A

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